Canon FD lenses with HMC40?
- Thread starter nyvideo
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Barry_Green
Moderator
You would need to use something like a Letus Extreme, or Redrock M3, or Cinevate Brevis type of 35mm lens adapter. And yes, it can make for a luxurious cinema-like image. But on an HMC40 it's going to require a substantial amount of light. Whether it's worth it or not is only a question you can answer.
Barry, thank you for the helpful response. I looked into those products and was surprised at their costs. I wasn't expecting the adapters to cost so much. I'd been hoping for a relatively inexpensive way to use those lenses. The Canons of today don't support them either.
Oh well. In some ways, I suppose it's not much different than trying to use a thirty-year-old computer program on one of today's PCs. Too bad. There is a common sentiment that your "investment in glass" is so much more important than the investment in the camera. That might be true, but watch out for those paradigm shifts!
Thanks again.
Oh well. In some ways, I suppose it's not much different than trying to use a thirty-year-old computer program on one of today's PCs. Too bad. There is a common sentiment that your "investment in glass" is so much more important than the investment in the camera. That might be true, but watch out for those paradigm shifts!
Thanks again.
GrahamH
Well-known member
You might want to look out for a Panasonic GH1 (or GH2) body on EBay. FD lenses will mount to those with a $25 adapter ... In my opinion that setup is a nice complement to an HMC40 - use the latter for run-and-gun, good light, deep depth of field. Use the FD lenses for shallow DOF and filmic shots.
In my research of adapters after Barry's post I found Bower, Novoflex, and some other companies make adapters for FD lenses to be put on micro4/3 cameras and on Canon EOS cameras. So maybe instead of getting the lenses on my HMC40 I can simply buy a new DSLR and use them on there. So the decision seems to be Canon 60D or Panasonic GH2.
Simple decision -- except for the financing... I need to think about that. Thanks.
Simple decision -- except for the financing... I need to think about that. Thanks.
that decision should be even easier...gh2...not only does it produce a sharper image, but using fd lenses on any of the canon dslrs will require an adaptor with an optical element which will further soften the image. If low light performance is not crucial then the gh1 with hack would be a cheaper option
Felipe Henao
Well-known member
Not only that 60D is loaded with Moire and aliasing, sick of that
I use FD on my GH13 and FS100 with no problems. FD lenses are fantastic but DO NOT use canon fd lenses with a canon EOS camera like the 60D. The FD to EOS adapters have a cheap glass (plastic?) element in them that destroys the quality of the image. Better to use a GH1 or GH2 with FD lenses. Adapters for thsoe do not have any cheap glass element in them.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Mico's totally correct here -- the Canon EOS mount cameras can't mount FD lenses directly, because the FD lenses have too short of a flange focal distance. You can use FD's on cameras with short FFD, like the GH2, but in order to use them on an EOS-mount camera you need an adapter with an optical element in it (or else the lenses would never stand a chance of focusing). And that optical element usually degrades the image quite a bit. I guess there's probably some high-dollar high-quality adapter out there that doesn't degrade (or at least, not as much) but it's not likely gonna be cheap!
Thanks to all. This information is leaning me (gently coercing me?) towards the Panasonic. I've looked at the reviews and it seems like the newer sensor and electronics in the GH2 provide it with more pluses than the Canon 60D, for my use, at least. Throw in the simpler and apparently actually useable adapter for my Canon FD lenses and it's an attractive package.